96.2% Take Up of Rights Issue

Ashtead Group plc
29 August 2006

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR
INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, FRANCE, JAPAN OR
NEW ZEALAND

                               Ashtead Group plc                               

                            RESULTS OF RIGHTS ISSUE                            
                    96.2 PER CENT. TAKE UP OF RIGHTS ISSUE                     

The Board of Ashtead announces that it has received valid acceptances in
respect of 146,472,043 New Ordinary Shares, representing approximately 96.2 per
cent. of the total number of New Ordinary Shares offered to Shareholders
pursuant to the 3 for 8 Rights Issue announced by Ashtead on 19 July 2006 which
closed at 11.00 a.m. today. A total of 152,240,015 New Ordinary Shares were
offered to Shareholders in the Rights Issue.

JPMorgan Cazenove, UBS and Evolution will be seeking to procure acquirers for
the remaining New Ordinary Shares, net of fractional entitlements, for which
valid acceptances were not received. This amounts to 5,767,972 New Ordinary
Shares. The net proceeds from the sale of these shares, after the deduction of
the Rights Issue Price of 100 pence per New Ordinary Share and the expenses of
procuring acquirers (including any related commissions and amounts in respect
of irrecoverable VAT), will be paid to Shareholders that have not taken up
their entitlements pro rata to their lapsed provisional allotments provided
that individual amounts of less than £5.00 will not be paid to such persons but
will be retained for the benefit of Ashtead.

George Burnett, Chief Executive of Ashtead, said:

"We are delighted by the high level of support that we have received from
investors for the Rights Issue, and for their endorsement of the proposed
acquisition of NationsRent and the strategic rationale behind it. We currently
expect that the acquisition will be concluded on Thursday 31 August 2006."

Terms used in this Announcement shall have the same meanings as set out in the
Prospectus dated 19 July 2006.

ENQUIRIES:

Ashtead                                                                        
Cob Stenham, Non-executive Chairman                       [phone]  
George Burnett, Chief Executive                           [phone]  
Ian Robson, Finance Director                              [phone]  
                                                                               
Maitland                                                                       
Brian Hudspith                                            [phone]  

UBS Limited is acting exclusively as financial adviser to Ashtead and no one
else in connection with the Acquisition and the Rights Issue and will not be
responsible to anyone other than Ashtead for providing the protections afforded
to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the Acquisition, the
Rights Issue, or in relation to the contents of this announcement, or for any
other transaction, arrangement or matter referred to in this announcement.

JPMorgan Cazenove Limited, which is authorised and regulated in the United
Kingdom by the Financial Services Authority, is acting exclusively as financial
adviser to and corporate broker for Ashtead and no one else in connection with
the Acquisition and the Rights Issue and will not be responsible to anyone
other than Ashtead for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for
providing advice in relation to the Acquisition, the Rights Issue, or in
relation to the contents of this announcement, or for any other transaction,
arrangement or matter referred to in this announcement.

Evolution Securities Limited, which is authorised and regulated in the United
Kingdom by the Financial Services Authority, is acting exclusively as corporate
broker for Ashtead and no one else in connection with the Rights Issue and will
not be responsible to anyone other than Ashtead for providing the protections
afforded to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the Rights
Issue, or in relation to the contents of this announcement, or for any other
transaction, arrangement or matter referred to in this announcement.

This announcement does not constitute, or form part of, an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to acquire or subscribe for New Ordinary Shares,
Provisional Allotment Letters, Nil Paid Rights and/or Fully Paid Rights and/or
to take up any entitlements.

The information contained in this announcement is not for release, publication
or distribution to persons in the United States, Australia, Canada, France,
Japan or New Zealand.

This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale in, into or from the
United States, Australia, Canada, France, Japan or New Zealand. The New
Ordinary Shares, Provisional Allotment Letters, Nil Paid Rights and Fully Paid
Rights have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of
1933 (as amended) or under any relevant securities laws of any state or other
jurisdiction of the United States, and will not qualify for distribution under
any of the relevant securities laws of Australia, Canada, France, Japan or New
Zealand. Accordingly, the New Ordinary Shares, Provisional Allotment Letters,
Nil Paid Rights and/or Fully Paid Rights may not be offered, sold, taken up,
exercised, resold, renounced, transferred or delivered, directly or indirectly,
within the United States (absent registration or an applicable exemption from
registration) or within Australia, Canada, France, Japan or New Zealand.

The availability of the Rights Issue to persons who are not resident in the
United Kingdom may be affected by the laws of the relevant jurisdictions in
which they are located. Persons who are not resident in the United Kingdom
should inform themselves of, and observe, any applicable requirements.